Practicing Your Instrument Correctly

Environment and Equipment
  1. Use a music stand.
    1. Many nice folding stands are available on Amazon for as little as $13.
  2. Sit with good posture in a sturdy chair or stand up while practicing.
  3. If possible, find a quiet place free from distractions.
  4. Use a chromatic tuner and metronome (or get a free app for a device)
    1. Tuner Lite app            b.    Metronome: Tempo Lite app      

Strategies
  1. After warm-ups and exercises, isolate difficult passages.  You don’t always need to play every part of every piece.  Focus on your weaknesses.
  2. Practice clapping and counting (with toe tapping and metronome) difficult rhythmic passages.
  3. After mastering something, play through it at least three times without making a mistake.
  4. Have some music to play “just for fun” at the end of your practice session.  Visit a music store or www.jwpepper.com to find fun movie or popular music for your instrument.​​
​Brass Players
  1. Oil valves and lubricate slides as needed.  Pull out slides as needed.
  2. Deep breathing exercises
  3. Lip buzzing/Mouthpiece buzzing
  4. Long-tones as long and as steady as possible (use various notes and dynamics)
  5. Pitch matching with tuner
  6. Lip slurs from warm-up packet
  7. Scales
  8. Essential Elements/Technique book exercises
  9. Band music, private lesson music, “just for fun” music, jazz band music, etc…
  10. Empty spit valves and push in slides.
Woodwinds
  1. Grease corks as needed and inspect reed supply. Have at least three working reeds at all times.
  2. Deep breathing exercises
  3. Long-tones as long and as steady as possible (use various notes and dynamics)
  4. Pitch matching with tuner
  5. Warm-up exercises from warm-up packet
  6. Scales
  7. Essential Elements/Technique book exercises
  8. Band music, private lesson music, “just for fun” music, jazz band music, etc…
  9. Swab out instrument daily.
Percussion 
  • Make sure you stand while practicing:  instrument at waist level, appropriate stick/mallet grip.
Keyboard Percussion/Bells
  1. Scales and warm-up exercises from packet
  2. Essential Elements/Technique book exercises
  3. Band music, private lesson music, “just for fun” music, jazz band music, etc…
Snare Drum
  1. Snare Drum Rudiments from handout
  2. Scales and warm-up exercises from packet
  3. Essential Elements/Technique book exercises
  4. Band music, private lesson music, “just for fun” music, jazz band music, etc…